Grass catcher for lawn mowers



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,724

E. 5' BLYNN.

GRASS CATCHER FOR LAWN MOWERS FILED AUG. 22v 192% 2 swears-sues! I zlnueutot attorney Patented Dec. 26, 1922.

UNITED STATES EDGAR A. BLYNN, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

GRASS GA'IGHER FOR- LAWN MOWERS.

Application filed August 22. 1921.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR A. BLYNN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Gloucester, in the county of Essex and btate of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grass Catchers for Lawn Mowers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to grass catching attachment for lawn mowers and has for its object to provide a device of this character capable of being readily attached to any conventional form of lawn mower regardless of the manner in which the lawn mower is operated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of this character capable of being automatically operated to discharge grass collected by the device upon movement of the handle of the lawn mower in one direction.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this character including a grass catching receptacle which is disposed adjacent the roller of the lawn mower and wherein means are provided for directing the grass into the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character embody ing a receptacle for the reception of grass, said receptacle having means for connection to the shaft of the roller of the lawn mower, said means being adjustable to accommodate said receptacle to various makes of lawn m owers.

t is a still further object of the invention to provide a device of this character embodying a receptacle having a pivoted bottom, and wherein the weight of said receptacle upon the bottom and engagement of the bottom with the ground serves to maintain the receptacle closed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more articularly described, fully claimed and il ustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which:-

Figure l is a side elevation of a grass catcher for lawn mowers constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and showing the catcher in position to receive grass,

Serial No. 494,179.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the position of the parts when the grass is being discharged,

Figure is a front elevation of the grass catcher detached from the lawn mower,

Figure at is a perspective view of the bottom of the catcher,

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the catcher and structure shown in Figure l, and

Figure (5 is a top plan view of the catcher applied to a lawn mower.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates the receptacle of the grass catcher, said receptacle including a back and sides 7 and 8. The front, top and bottom portions are open. A suitable brace 9 is connected to the upper portions of each of the sides 7 and 8 and to the back for maintaining said receptacle in the proper shape. Projecting upwardly from the intermediate portion of the back adjacent the upper edge of said back, are ears 10 and 11 which are spaced from each other and are skewed so as to permit the openings in the ears to register. An operating member 12 is rovided, said member being substantially ii-shaped and has its ends engaged with the ears l0 and 11. A roller 13 is mounted on the intermediate por tion oi the operatilr member, the arms of said operating member being extended inwardly as at 14 to retain the roller in position. The roller 13 is adapted to engage the handle of a lawn mower, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

lirojecting from the lower edge of each of the side members T and 8 and adjacent the forward end of the receptacle are brackets 15, each bracket being offset as at 16 and having an opening 17 for the reception of a shaft 18, the ends of the shaft projecting beyond the sides of the receptacle. The shaft is maintained in position by means of cotter pins 19 which are passed through the en; portions of the shaft. A closure memher or bottom 20 is provided for closing the bottom of the receptacle. This bottom consists of a sheet of material having an extension 21 projecting from its forward lon 'itudinal edge, said extension being fol ed back upon the sheet substantially in parallel relation to the upper face of the bottom 20 the end of the extenon being hen s ack pon, th e t nson i secu ar lat s sad. wen .0 W

protein a chute and likewise a. cieaneix The enth 24 of the sheet are. slit adjacent their central portions, the forward portion 25 oi said ends being extended upwardly to provide wings while a reinforcing n'iember 26 is lfilhhtll around the remaining edges 27 of said end portion and the rear longitudinal ed 'r oi the sheet. The portions 27. as well as the rear portion oil the sheet extend be '\'UInl the sides and rear walls of the receptarle so as to insure a proper closing action of the recc )taele and prevent the escape of grass. bei-ured to the lower face and rear portion of the closure member 2H is a strip or runner 3T which is intended. to engage the ground when the device is in use, to assist. in holding the (insure member closed.

lrojrriiiuj from the lower face ot the bottom or rlosure member 2i) is a pair of brackets 2 said brackets being disposed adjacent the outer are of the wings and are adapted to receive the shaft 19 whereby the bottom or closure member is supported. ventral bracket 2'. is carried by the bottom of the rereptarle. the hearing portion of said bracket being: skewed so as to rereive the shaft and thereby provide supporting means for the intermediate portion of the closure member. A spacing collar 30 is disposed between the brackets 28 and the brackets 15, said rollar serving: to prevent interference with the movement of the bottom when grass is being discharged. Projecting from each of the sides 7 and Q of the receptacle and over the projecting portions 27 of the bot.-

tom is a hrarket 31 through which a rod 32 1s moi-able. the rod having a loop or eye 33 formed in its upper end to limit movement of the rod through the hearing. The opprr site end oi the rod 34 is connected to a lirarket 3;: whirh is carried by the edge 27 (it the bottom immediately beneath the brarlzet 3!. one of the brackets being provided for ach cud of the bottom. By this means, it is impossible for the bottom. when in its open position. to be disposed substantially rert ii-ally or to swing into engagement with the parts of the lawn mover. as movement of aid bottom is limited by the loop or eye 33. The rod 32 also serves to maintain the bottom in the desired inrlined position to permit the efiieient discharge of grass.

Projecting from the forward portions of arl of the sides 7 and 3 adj aeent the closure member 20 is a pair of brackets 36, the hearing portions of said brackets being offset with respect to the base of the l'irackets and are adapted to receive the ends of trunnions r ends oi" a shaft 37, on which a roller 38 .s mounted. the roller 33 being smaller in diameter than the roller A of the lawn mower and is adapted to be disposed closely adjacent the cleaner 22 so as to prevent discharge of grass between the cleaner and the roller. The main purpose of the roller 38 is to away l ioui the irtrpla lt'. a uo'rui mp nun-in anisni is provided and (Uiiigd'ihtmf a plate iii; which sr lil i to each end oi the shaft Iii. said plate having a stop 4*.) which is formed by i't'illi il poribin oi ihe periphery of tin" plate. pawl ii is pivoially ronneeted to the sid i" and above the brackets 34''). and adjari-iu one end oi the pawl. the oppo site end oi said pawl being disposed substantially at right angles and arranged to me nape the periphery ol' the plate 135 7-0 that said angular portion oi the pawl will engage the stop 31i. Toma-cunt to the iii-st mentioned end of the pan! ii a spring 4-2. the opposite end oi said spring: being connected by minim: of a heel: t? to the upper portion oi the sides I and H. The function of the spring is t normally urge the pawl into on e ement with the periphery of the plate 39 i. of the lawn mower is w that i th roller rotated in a. reverse direction. rorreaponding nirz veiuent o! the rollertlS is prevented by rontaet oi' the stop -50 with the end of the. pawl ii. To permit the receptacle to be conuerted to various makes oi lawn mowers. there is provided a bracket is} having its end portion is bent substant ally U-shaped the arms of said U-shaped portion being pro rider! with registering open i 46 through .ihirh a portior ol' the shaft 18 extends. The opposite end portion 17 is extended at right angles to the main portion 0? the bracket and in the opposite dirertion to the end portion The end portion :7 is proviiloi'l with an opening; i adapted to receive one end oi an eye liolt if). thrlhreailed porti n of said bolt being extruded through the opening and unis disposed on the boil. one on eaoh side of the end 4Tso as to lorl; the bolt in an adjusted. position. The ere 1 ot' earl; bolt ii: adapted to rerrire ihe :niiaeent end oi the lawn mower roller shatt l). and is disposed between the roller and the hearing of the shaft ii rarried by the lawn nnrrer.

To attach the device to a lawn mower. the roller A of the awn mower is detached so as to permit he uppliraition oi the eye bolt 49 to the ends ol" the shall of the roller A. The roller is then replaced. By this means the rere 'itacle .3 is also mo ably eonur trd to the lawn mower. The handle of the lawn mower adapted to extend through tlnop erating: u'iember l2. the roller i i engaging the upper sor hum oi the handle. dis the lawn mower moves over the lawn in the grass cutting operation. the runner if? slides over the gras so as to sustain the weight of the receptacle and hohl the ottoin oi the receptacle closed. Rotation of the roller A bill llil l l U i) will ause reverse rotation f the roller 3H. therelry guiding or ilireirting the rut gra s into the eatrher or reeeptinrle. The rleaner 2:5 during this operati n not only rleans the roller. lint prevents passage or the grass he tween the rleaner and lhr roller li When it is desired to disrhar; n the was. it i. onl neressar to swing the handle ot the lawn mower forwardly. thereby rousing the roller 13 to more along the handle to prevent frietion and at the same time permitting the handle to raise the receptacle ahoie the lii t tom. there rv opening; the rewptaele wherw upon the hottoin or closure inenihe in will he positioned on an inrline through the me- (lium of the rods 53. mo that the arms may be eonvenienth deposited without requiring: removal of the receptacle l'roni the lown mower or the operation of any other parts of the device. A chain 51 is conneeted to each eye bolt. and to the sides of the reeeptai-le.

The purpose of said rhains is to hold the rereptaele in the proper position In; limiting pivotal moreinenl ol' the rireplarie on the shaft in. and thereh regulating inorinient ol' the receptaele with resperl in the lawn mower. l pon lowering ol the handle of the lawn mower to eontinne the wittin i' pera tion. the rereptaele will desrend tlliUlliZfll the medium of gravity into engagement with the rlosu re member 20 which in turn will engage the ground. thereby elosing: the receptaele so as to positioi'i the parts tor the reeeption ol a new supply of grass.

From the 'lorogoinn' it will he readily seen that this invention provides a novel torn: of grass rateher rapable of heme; attached to any lawn mower regardless ol whether it is driven hy motire power. draft animals. or manualy operated. and wherein it is possilile to disrharg'e the grass h simply raisin; the handle of the lawn mower. l nrihermore, the novel eonneetion oi the allaelnnent to the lawn mower permits the rreeptarle to lie disposed on an incline which positions the deriee at the proper point to reeeire the grass serered l) the entter ol the lawn mower.

hat is claimed is:--

'1. A grass can-hing; attarlnnent for lawn mowers endiod rinrg a reeeptaele open at its forward. upper and lowe portions. hraekets dependingfrom said l'e eptarle. a. sha l't journaled in said hraeltets. a (i sure niemher mounted on the shartt tor closing; th hottoi ot' the reeeptaele. means earried hr the reeeptaele and engaged with the rlosurr niemher For limiting swinging mm :anent ol' slid Closure nien'diier. means earrie l h hid shalt 'l'or ronnerting' the reeeptarle to a lawn mower. and means earried In the reeeptarle and engaged with the handle of the lawn mower for ransingr simultaneous movement of the receptacle and closure member away from each other or toward each other upon piuital iooai-nient o!" the handle of the lawn mower.

2. l grass ratehinn" attarlnnent tor lawn mowers uimpr sina. a rerep'iarle. a hottom pii'otesl to ;-aid ria'eplzu'le. a portion of said hottoin extending lafnind Ihe rereptarle to engage the ground and support the re- Celjtittflt. means for eonneeting said rerep taele to a lawn mower above the ground. said hottom being inn-mall held i-lowd liy eonlaet oi the projerting portion or" said lmlton: with the illl ollllkl.

I1, '1 grass ratiliinn' attachment lor lawn mowers romprising a reeeptcule. a lmttoni pinned to the rereptarle. the forward lJt'i Iion oi said liofnin heinp. l'ormed into a chute. the rear portion 05' sa d hotiwn extending lieyond the re eptarle t engage the ground and support the reeeptarle in its closed position. and means 'l'or ronneiting the rereptaele to a lawn mower.

&. A grass r: trhin; nttaehment l'or lawn mowers eoniprir-inn a. ria'eptarle. a. holtoin piroted adiarent one edge lherwol' to said re eptarle. the opposite edge. of the botto h Eng arranged to engage the ground and sup port the rereptaele. an operating niemlier pivoted to the upper portion of the rerepniele. a roller earried by said operating meniher for eing'nnnineiit with the handle of the lawn mower. connecting means operatirelv eonneeting said ria-eptaele to the roller oi' the lawn mower, aid ronneetinzr ineans law ing inoi'ahle relatively to the lawn mower and with the handle of the lawn mower to permit movement ol the reeeptzn'le independently ot' the hottom to permit disrharne oF the contents of the reeeptaele.

5. i l n'rass ratrhing altaelnnent for lawn n'iowers roraprising a reeeptarle. a ltllltllli pivoted to said eeeptaele. a roller pivoted to the forward portion ol' the rereptaele elosely adjarent one edge ot' the hottoni. means or eonnerting: said re eptaele to the roller of a lawn mower. the roller t the rt (eptaele heing; operahle lo the roller of tin lawn mower to guide matter into the rem;- tacle.

6. A grass catchingattarhnienl For lawn mowers con'iprisinn a wepiai-le. a hottoin pivoted to said receptaele. a roller pivoted to the forward portion of the receptacle closely adjaeent one edge 0! the hoitoni. means for eonnertin g' said rereptarle to the roller of a lawn mower. the roller of the receptacle heing operahle hr t e roller ol" the lawn mower to guide matter lih'f) the rereptaele. and means earr ed hy the ria-eptarlr vfor engagement with the roller oi" the rerep taele to prerent ILYGISQ rotation ot said roller.

In testimony whereot l hereunto atlir no signature.

EDGAR A. RL'YXITL lit. 

